Harley test ride - what bike?

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dean owens · #21 Post by **dean owens** » Thu Jun 18, 2009 3:46 am

well, today is the day. as soon as i can get ready and out the door i'm going for a test ride. if my inseam will allow me, i'm going to try the v-rod. if not, we'll see what fits. i'll let y'all know how it went.

RockBottom · #22 Post by **RockBottom** » Thu Jun 18, 2009 11:20 am

dean owens wrote:well, today is the day. as soon as i can get ready and out the door i'm going for a test ride. if my inseam will allow me, i'm going to try the v-rod. if not, we'll see what fits. i'll let y'all know how it went.

Do you often have conversations with your inseam? I'll admit I talk to parts of my body, but not THAT one.

BuzZz · #23 Post by **BuzZz** » Thu Jun 18, 2009 1:18 pm

RockBottom wrote:
Do you often have conversations with your inseam? I'll admit I talk to parts of my body, but not THAT one.

Really? That's the part of my body that needs the most talking to....... Lord only knows what kinda trouble he'd get into if I didn't. Hell, he gets me in more than enough as it is.

dean owens · #24 Post by **dean owens** » Thu Jun 18, 2009 4:06 pm

well, i don't often have conversations with my inseam but if i did i would have been ready to cuss it today. i was really looking forward to riding a v-rod. i looked at it and thought - "i can do that". guy brought it out and left me with the bike. i got on and i couldn't reach. i could reach, but not well enough to take it out on the road. so i had to drive it around to the back and give it back.

so what did i pick? i went with the nightster. i've never ridden a non-faired bike and the nightster was the only one they had - besides the v-rod. plus i figure many beginners lean toward the sportster and i might be able to help them out a bit by taking a ride and being able to give them first hand experience later.

let me tell you - it's no fz6. it was nice to finally sit on a bike that i could flatfoot. it's amazing how that brings such a comfort level to stops. before i just start rambling i'll start making a list.

not so good...
[/b]- the seat - did they store a friggin' brick under that cover? it cupped the hiney quite nicely, but it was so stinkin' hard.

- shocks - i hit the first bump and thought i was going to need back surgery. i don't know how they had them set, but there was no give (by no i mean no... not just a little exaggeration... no give). i've never ridden a hard tail... but i think i came as close as i'll ever come today.

- the shakes - when i came to my first stop i thought that the clutch wasn't going in all the way because it was shaking like it was about to stall. i then realized that's just the way it is. i can't imagine riding one of these before they rubber mounted the engines.

- the shakes/vibrations - overall, it wasn't a very smooth ride. it had it's moments, but it was a pretty vibrating ride. some of this got better as i learned the bike a little more. such as, between 45 & 50 in 3rd gear was very smooth. the foot pegs still vibrated a decent amount but it was a pretty nice ride. and 4th gear about 60 (give or take 5mph) was the same. i had to be going pretty fast for 5 gear to be anything other than a shaker.
i think if i had it for longer (went for about 1.5 - 2 hours - back roads and interstate) i would get more used to it and probably get it pretty smooth (as smooth as a sportster could be).

- lack of a tach - both of my bikes have had tachs on them. it was a little difficult to get used to a new bike with no tach.

- engine heat - it wasn't even a warm day today... but after about an hour of riding i had to be very carful where i put my right leg. a few times it hit the head and/or the air cleaner and i could tell that the engine was quite warm.

the goods...
- solid as a rock - although this fits the seat i'm mainly talking about the fit and finish of the bike. it was almost a dichotomy between the shakiness and how well everything was put together. even down to the clutch and brake levers... they just felt really well made.

- the tranny - it shifted really well. my fz6 can be a little "clunky" shifting between gears. this was so smooth. i wish my fz6 tranny had this feeling to it.

- torque - wow. it was so easy to get off the line and up to speed. i can see the appeal. really made me wonder how fun the larger harley's must be. there was one time on one of the back roads that i goosed the throttle and i felt like i was about to come off the bike.

- seating position - for me this was a great seating position. i was comfortable (except for my rear) from the time i sat down until the time i got off. very natural feeling.

- fun on the back roads - even with the bads, it was really fun on the back roads. i don't know how to explain it other than an experience... but the "cruising experience" on that was something i've yet to have. maybe it had to do with the fact that it was the first bike i've ever ridden with no fairing. i don't know how to fully describe it.

- turn signals - i had heard that harley's had the signals on the two sides and i was wondering how hard that would be to get used to. it felt very natural. i would say more natural in that one test ride than three years of riding with "standard" turn signal setups.

- weight - i have heard that sportsters were top heavy. to be honest, this bike felt very well balanced and light. it didn't feel top heavy at all.

i'm sure there are more likes and dislikes but that's what i got off the top of my head. the jury is still out on how i feel about it. at first i really wondered how harley would even put such a bike on the market. so many people start off on the sportster. if that would have been my first bike i would not look to upgrade to a larger harley. but as i road it i thought - "i could have one of these". i wouldn't want it for my main bike but it could be a fun around town bike. i'd need a new seat and to do something about those shocks... but overall it wasn't too bad by the time i got used to it and what gear i needed to be in for the mph.

anyway, i'm glad i road it. i'd like to ride a larger harley now for comparisons sake. i won't write harley's off... but i have no desire to give up my fz6 after that test ride.

still mad i couldn't ride the v-rod.

#25 Post by **fireguzzi** » Thu Jun 18, 2009 5:15 pm

weight - i have heard that sportsters were top heavy. to be honest, this bike felt very well balanced and light. it didn't feel top heavy at all.

The nightster, I think, is a couple of inches lower in seat height then other sportsters. I know it feels a lot lower then the other sportsters I have ridden. So maybe its just the riders position on the bike that makes it not feel top heavy.

Nightster is definitely a fun bike though.

Oh yeah, what couldnt you reach on the vrod? The foot controls?

koji52 · #26 Post by **koji52** » Fri Jun 19, 2009 1:55 am

Dean...sorry you couldn't ride the v-rod. I'll let you know how my rental is next weekend

My 2 cents on the Nightster...

As far as the seat goes man, that harder stock seat is much better than the mush I had on my custom. Although I haven't spent any time riding a nightster, the seat feels as hard as my Corbin and I love my Corbin. The seat and the shocks are usually the first thing people replace on all Sporties.

No tach issue - no problem. Although it would be nice, you definately can work without one.

The torque - hell yeah. The whole line of sporties are very torquey.

Although I haven't gotten the chance to ride the nightster, I can say that the sporties i've ridden have all been much more top heavy than other bikes in the Harley lineup. It's not as terrible as critics may have you believe but there is a noticable difference in this regard between my dad's heritage and my sportster.

i love my sportster but am reaaaally looking forward to riding the v-rod...

dean owens · #27 Post by **dean owens** » Fri Jun 19, 2009 2:25 am

fireguzzi wrote:
weight - i have heard that sportsters were top heavy. to be honest, this bike felt very well balanced and light. it didn't feel top heavy at all.
The nightster, I think, is a couple of inches lower in seat height then other sportsters. I know it feels a lot lower then the other sportsters I have ridden. So maybe its just the riders position on the bike that makes it not feel top heavy.

Nightster is definitely a fun bike though.

i guess the seat hight could explain it. because i wouldn't call it top heavy at all. maybe it's because my first bike was an 83 silverwing. now that's top heavy.

fireguzzi wrote:Oh yeah, what couldnt you reach on the vrod? The foot controls?

yeah, it was the controls. i could just barely shift it... and that was with a reach. then as i road it around back i discovered that the only way my right leg could touch the foot peg was for my right leg to touch the exhaust.

it's just not a bike made for people of less than average height. i come in at just below 5'8" and have a short inseam.

dean owens · #28 Post by **dean owens** » Fri Jun 19, 2009 2:57 am

koji52 wrote:Dean...sorry you couldn't ride the v-rod. I'll let you know how my rental is next weekend

i look forward to hearing about jerk... i mean... ummmm

koji52 wrote:As far as the seat goes man, that harder stock seat is much better than the mush I had on my custom. Although I haven't spent any time riding a nightster, the seat feels as hard as my Corbin and I love my Corbin. The seat and the shocks are usually the first thing people replace on all Sporties.

really? when i say hard i mean that i sat down and it didn't give. and i'm a hefty fella. a piece of wood would have given just as much. i've got to have more give than that.

koji52 wrote:No tach issue - no problem. Although it would be nice, you definately can work without one.

yeah. by the end i was getting used where to shift and what not. it would have just been easier with a tach. not a biggie, but easier.

and as i was riding i did wonder how you're supposed to break one in. how do you know to stay below a certain rpm?

over all it wasn't a bad experience. but it was much rougher than i was expecting. it's not a bike i would recommend to anyone. at least not in its stock form. it does look nice though.

wish i could have ridden the v-rod. i'm sure i would have had a different experience.

RhadamYgg · #29 Post by **RhadamYgg** » Sun Jun 21, 2009 1:09 pm

How bad was it that you wouldn't ride the v-rod? What is the seat height of it?

RhadamYgg

koji52 · #30 Post by **koji52** » Tue Jun 23, 2009 7:10 am

RhadamYgg wrote:How bad was it that you wouldn't ride the v-rod? What is the seat height of it?

RhadamYgg

The seat height isn't the issue. The seat is pretty low to the ground IMO...it's the forward reach bars and foot controls that give people troubles.